Sandra Sassi is dreading having to buy her daughter new shirts to adhere to John Rennie High School’s uniform policy.
She says being asked to buy a new set of clothes, and the fact that it’s a public school, are just a few of the reasons why she’s against a mandatory dress code.
“I believe the reason for implementing this code of dressing is because that they had a hard time with some students with the way they’d present themselves to school,” said Sassi.
“I have a daughter in Grade 10 and she doesn’t have a problem dressing appropriately. I don’t see why the whole population of the school has to comply to this.”
On top of that, she’s upset about how the decision was made and how she was informed.
Sassi says she received an email on July 7 from the school principal, informing her that students will be required to wear a uniform top, starting this fall, that they can purchase through a specific supplier, with a July 31 deadline.
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She feels that parents weren’t given enough notice.
Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents Comittee Association says she’s heard similar complaints from several other John Rennie parents, who were “extremely upset.
She also stresses that Quebec public schools cannot impose a specific supplier when it comes to uniforms, as stated in an article of the province’s education act.
“You’re allowed to have a uniform policy in your code of conduct, you’re allowed to have a colour code in your code of conduct, but you are not allowed to say, ‘You must buy at this supplier,'” she said.
Korakakis says that means parents are technically allowed to get a free copy of the school’s crest and purchase similar tops from their store of choice.
In a statement to Global News, the Lester B. Pearson School Board said the John Rennie High School governing board approved the introduction of a new dress code following “a year-long consultation process involving different JRHS stakeholders, including parents, staff and students.”
“The tops will reduce economic disparity, promote gender equality and increase students’ sense of belonging and school spirit. Furthermore, this will allow school staff to identify JRHS students entering and exiting the school premises.”
It also added that any parent that inquired about the different options, in regards to purchasing tops outside of the supplier, was informed of the alternatives.
John Rennie is set to welcome students back to school on Aug. 31. The dress code policy kicks in on Oct. 10.
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